Amalgamator



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(No Model.)

No. 496,670. Patented May 2, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. SIMMONS, OF WIOKES, MONTANA.

AMALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,670, dated May 2,1893.

Application iiled December 3, 1892. Serial No. 453,928. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. SIMMONS, of Wicke's, in the county of Jeiferson and State of Montana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Amalgamators and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to amalgamators in which mercury is used toremove the metal from the ore; and it consists in the novel constructionand combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l is a vertical section of the amalgamator; andFig. 2 is a crosssection of the same taken on lthe line a: in Fig. 1,with the pan G relnoved. i

A is the hollow base on which the amalgamator is supported. y

B is a cylindrical vessel adapted to be filled with mercury up to theline y y in Fig. l.

C is a pan secured at the bottom of the vessel B, and provided withopenings c near its center.

D is a shaft which passes through the centerof the vessel B, and isprovided with means, such as the beveled toothed wheel d, for revolvingit.

E is a disk secured on the shaft D inside the pan C.

The lower end of` the shaft D is provided with a bearing-piece cl whichruns in the step f; and F is a bracket for supporting the step insidethe hollow base A. The base A is provided with a concave bottom and astrainer a, and A is a funnel belowthe strainer for collecting theamalgam which falls through the strainer and guiding it into the amalgampipe a. The amalgam pipe ct is connected to an amalgam safe of anyapproved construction. A second pan G is secured in the vessel B abovethe pan C and has holes gvnear its center. A disk I-I is secured on theshaft D in the pan G. The under sides of the pans C and G aredome-shaped so that the ore is guided up to the holes c and g as itrises through the mercury in the vessel B. The pans C and G are providedwith wearin g plates 2, and the disks E and H with wearing plates 3.These plates may be renewed as they become worn.

The pulverized ore is delivered into the lower part of the base A by anyapproved feed mechanism. One mechanism for this purpose consists of aconveyer I working in a casing I. The ore is placed in the hopper 11 atthe top of the casing and is carried down and discharged into the base Aby the descending conveyer buckets i'. -The conveyer may be driven fromthe central shaft as shown, or in any other approved manner.

Another means for feeding the ore to the base consists of a pipe J whichis inclosed in an outer tube Jand carried up above the top of themachine. The bottom of the pipe J has an enlarged portion provided withwings j and holes j so that the ore is discharged into the mercury whenthe pipeJ is revolved. The ore is introduced into the top of the pipe J;and K is a belt which passes over the pulley Zo on the pipe and over thepulley 7c on the shaft D so that the pipe may be revolved. The pipe Jhowever may be' revolved in any other approved manner, and its lower endmay be formed of any other approved construction that will enable theore to be thrown out of the discharge openings by centrifugal force asthe pipe is revolved.

K is a step in the base A for supporting the lower end of the pipe J.

L is a cover for the machine provided with supporting legs L', and 4 and5 are bearings in the cover for ythesha'ft D and the pipe J to revolvein respectively.

M is a dome-shaped guide-plate secured to the vessel B abovethe disk H.This guide-plate has a central outlet hole m having anupwardly-projecting lip fm around its edge. A deep pan N is secured onthe shaft D above the plate M and is provided with a depending lip nclosely encircling the lip m. Thepan N has a central tubular portion nextending upwardly within it and provided with holes 7 at its upper partwhere itis fastened tothe shaft. The edge 6 of the pan is arranged tocome above the holes 7 and is provided with the inwardlyprojectingcurved lip 8. The edge 6 is curved over and is arranged to projectslightlybeyond the periphery of the cylindrical vessel B. The twogrinding disks E and I-I and the pan N are adjustable upon the shaft D,and for the purpose of adjustment the said shaft may be provided withscrewthreads 10, or the disks IOO and pan may be connected to it in anyother approved manner.

P is a circular tank encircling the upper part of the vessel B andprovided with the inclined bottom p. This tank, and the upper part ofthe vesse1B,is adapted to be filled with water up to the level of theline z z in Fig. 1.

The tank P is divided into compartments by concentric partitions 14 and15, and each compartment is provided with outlets, 16, 17 and 18, at itslowest point. The ore rises through the mercury in the base A, passesthrough the holes in the lower pan and is ground up and rubbed togetherwith the mercury in the narrow space between the disk and the pan. Theamalgam sinks in the mercury, and the ore rises and is again rubbedtogether with the mercury in the upper pan. The portions of the orewhich will not amalgamate are guided by the dome-shaped plate M into thetubular portion n of the pan N. They pass through. the holes 7 and arethrown over the edge of the pan into the tank P. The lip 8 catches anyparticles of mercury or amalgam that may have got into the pan N, andthese particles collect in the bottom of the pan, from which they may beremoved from time to time. The particles of ore are discharged over theedge of the pan into the tank by centrifugal force, and collect in thecompartments of the pan according to their quality; the heavierparticles falling into the compartment nearest the vessel B, and thelighter into those nearer the circumference of the tank.

R is the water overfiow from the tank, which is supplied with water inany convenient way.

l. In au amalgamator, the combination, with a hollow base, and feedmechanism for forcing the ore into the base, of a cylindrical vesselsupported on the base and adapted to contain mercury, a pan having holesnear its center and a dome-shaped under-surface and secured in the saidvessel, a revoluble grinding disk arranged in the pan, and the wearingplates secured to the said pan and disk whereby the ore is guided upwardthrough the said holes and rubbed-together with the mercury in the pan,substantially as set forth.

2. In an amalgamator, the combination, with a cylindrical vessel adaptedto contain mercury and provided with a ixed pan4 and a revolublegrinding disk, of a tube connected to the lower part of the vessel andextending upward above the said pan, and a revoluble feed-pipe for theore arranged in the said tube and provided with an enlarged portionhaving lateral openings at its lower end and projecting wings fordischarging the ore under the pan, substantially as set forth.

3. In an amalgamator, the combination, with a vessel adapted to containwater and mercury, of a dome-shaped guide-plate secured in the upperpart of the said vessel and provided with a central opening and anupwardly-projecting lip, and a revoluble pan provided with a centraltubular portion projecting upwardly within it and having small holes atits upper end and a downwardly-projecting lip engaging the aforesaidlip, substantially' as set forth.

4. In an amalgamator, the combination, with a vessel adapted to containwater and mercury, of a revoluble pan arranged vin the upper part of thesaid vessel and provided with a central tubular portion projectingupwardly within it, a curved edge projecting over the periphery of thesaid vessel, and an inwardly-projecting lip around-its periphery forcatching particles of amalgam and mercury, substantially as set forth.

5. In an amalgamator, the combination, with a vessel adapted to containwater and mercury and a conduit for delivering solid matters thereto, ofa Water tank encircling the said vessel and provided with an inclinedbottom and concentric partitions dividing it into compartments, and arevoluble pan arranged in the upper part of the said vessel and providedwith a central tubular portion, communicating with the water and mercuryvessel whereby the solid matter from the said vessel is driven into thesaid tank and graded, substantially as set forth.

6. In an amalgamator, the' combination, with a Vessel adapted to containwater and mercury, of feeding mechanism for discharging ore into thelower part of the vessel, a pan secured in the said vessel and havingholes near its center, a central shaft, a grinding disk secured on thesaid shaft inside the said pan, a dome-shaped guide-plate secured in thesaid vessel above the said pan and disk, a pan secured on the said shaftabove the guideplate and provided with a central tubularportioncommunicating with the space below the guide-plate, and a water-tanksurrounding .the said vessel and communicating with the space above thelast said pan, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

H. L. sIMMoNs.

Witnesses:

E. C. SCOTT, R. A. PRYOR.

IOO

